From British soldiers 'tortured and murdered 20 Iraqis, then covered it up with firefight claim' by Neil Sears
23 Apr, 2009
British soldiers tortured and murdered up to 20 Iraqis in cold blood, the High Court was told yesterday.
It happened after a three-hour gun battle at an Army checkpoint near Basra, a lawyer claimed.
Rabinder Singh said a group of local men were taken prisoner and transported to an Army camp where they were beaten with a rusty tent pole, punched, slammed against walls, denied water, blasted with loud music and forced to strip naked in the presence of a woman – a humiliation for Muslim men.
The next day, he said, only nine were still alive – and 20 corpses were returned to their families. One was teenager Hamid Al-Sweady.
The Army claims the men all died in the initial gun battle, but Hamid's uncle Khuder Al-Sweady and five survivors of the incident yesterday began a court battle in London to win an independent inquiry.
The clash in May 2004 came after insurgents launched a heavy attack on a checkpoint known as Danny Boy in Al Majar-al-Kabir – the town north of Basra where six military policeman had been murdered the previous year.
According to Army accounts, the soldiers were heavily outnumbered but fought back heroically, mounting a bayonet charge at one point, until the attackers were defeated. The Army says only nine Iraqis were taken away alive for questioning.
But Mr Singh said that when the shooting was over, the British troops took bloody revenge. He said: 'It is the claimants' case that at least some of those captured were tortured and killed by British troops between 14 and 15 May 2004, and that there has been no effective investigation into what happened to them in that 24-hour period.
~ more... ~
Saturday, April 25, 2009
'This constitutes a substantive and procedural breach of the European Convention on Human Rights'
Police caught on tape trying to recruit Plane Stupid protester as spy
Paul Lewis reports in The Guardian :
Climate change activist taped men who offered cash for information about group's members and activities
Undercover police are running a network of hundreds of informants inside protest organisations who secretly feed them intelligence in return for cash, according to evidence handed to the Guardian.
They claim to have infiltrated a number of environmental groups and said they are receiving information about leaders, tactics and plans of future demonstrations.
The dramatic disclosures are revealed in almost three hours of secretly recorded discussions between covert officers claiming to be from Strathclyde police, and an activist from the protest group Plane Stupid, whom the officers attempted to recruit as a paid spy after she had been released on bail following a demonstration at Aberdeen airport last month.
Matilda Gifford, 24, said she recorded the meetings in an attempt to expose how police seek to disrupt the legitimate activities of climate change activists. She met the officers twice; they said they were a detective constable and his assistant. During the taped discussions, the officers:
• Indicate that she could receive tens of thousands of pounds to pay off her student loans in return for information about individuals within Plane Stupid.
• Say they will not pay money direct into her bank account because that would leave an audit trail that would leave her compromised. They said the money would be tax-free, and added: "UK plc can afford more than 20 quid."
• Accept that she is a legitimate protester, but warn her that her activity could mean she will struggle to find employment in the future and result in a criminal record.
• Claim they have hundreds of informants feeding them information from protest organisations and "big groupings" from across the political spectrum.
• Explain that spying could assist her if she was arrested. "People would sell their soul to the devil," an officer said.
• Warn her that she could be jailed alongside "hard, evil" people if she received a custodial sentence.
The meetings took place in a Glasgow police station last month and in a supermarket cafe on Tuesday. Gifford used a mobile phone and device sewn into her waistcoat to record what they described as a "business proposal" that she should think of as a job.
They intimated that in return for updates on Plane Stupid's plans she could receive large sums of money in cash.
When lawyers acting for Plane Stupid contacted Strathclyde police this week to establish the identities of the detective constable, they were initially told by the human resources department there was no record of his name.
But when the Guardian contacted the force, they acknowledged officers had had meetings with Plane Stupid activists.
[ ... ]
Listen to the tapes and read the transcripts
~ more... ~
Cop on Facebook: "can't wait to bash some long haired hippys up @ the G20"
PC Rob Ward is under investigation but not suspended, for writing on his Facebook page before the G20 demonstrations in London: "Rob Ward can't wait to bash some long haired hippys up @ the G20."
PC Rob Ward's Facebook posting
PC Rob Ward
The message was removed but it looks like someone spotted it somehow.
Report from the BBC news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8016620.stm
It's also reported in a lot of the national mainstream press.
According to the Sun, he is based at a police station near his home in Enfield, north London.
~ source: UK Indymedia ~
Friday, April 24, 2009
'This is what Democracy looks like' - Mayday Global Chalk4Peace
Mayday Global Chalk4Peace - Its Time To Get Out The Chalk again!
Invite all your friends to join in with this global event here:
http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?guests&eid=102523387344
http://www.infinitepossibility.org
click on Chalk4Peace for details of past Chalk4Peace Global Events
In 100’s of cities around the world On Mayday -Chalk4Peace
Please copy this & forward this to all your contacts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
United Kingdom…United States…Egypt…Austria…Germany…Canada…
Ecuador…Puerto Rico… France… Chile… Iran… Iraq… Mexico… Spain…Italy…Cypress…Israel… In hundreds of towns and cities - Everywhere!
“Our Streets Are OUR Media”
WE have TOTAL access -
“We CAN Make the difference”
_______________________________________
http://www.infinitepossibility.org
Changing The World By Changing The Conversation”
Please Support The work of this website
———————————————————-
Mission Possible “Our World Working For ALL of Us”
We CAN Make THE Difference!
MAYDAY 2009 Chalk4Peace!
On the pavements and sidewalks of our towns and cities
You are invited to Take Action! -
For your local organiser, LOOK IN THE MIRROR
It takes very little to participate in the global MAYDAY2009 chalk4peace , all you need is a piece of chalk, you can chalk anything you want: a heart, a smiley face, a word a poem or a flower - on a wall, a pavement somewhere, anywhere! - It washes off in the rain so don’t worry.
Invite all your friends on facebook, myspace etc & beyond, this can
spread faster than ‘flu, break the surface & appear in the mainstream
media.
Invite people to join you, if you have extra chalk, people will want
to join in ‘cos its so much FUN!
Get together in groups, organise chalk4peace parties picnics, print
leaflets, send press releases.
Your participation can be as big or small as you want
Bring some colour into the grey streets & turn our cities into
gigantic art galleries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCjATioFPCI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpkndYaCYYM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqJrNt9YVyU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBGb9q3F334
(Scroll down for “WHAT CAN YOU DO?” to Participate in this
GLOBAL outpouring of public art. Where we make
our personal statements for peace on the pavements and sidewalks of
our cities all over our world.”)
Chalk4Peace MAYDAY 2009 IS HAPPENING!
All around the globe, together we are decorating, dedicating and
declaring, in deep sincerity our collective call for peace.
Chalk4Peace is about our empowerment. We The People, our global
culture, all people everywhere and our common desire to live in peace.
The Chalk4Peace project has already transformed the experience of
thousands of people attending demonstrations for peace all over the
world during the past 7 years. Chalk4Peace is both a tool and a
conduit for non violent public self expression, and participation in
the growing global movement for peace.
Chalk4Peace is an opportunity for all of us of all ages to make our
feelings known, especially the young, whose future is in dire jeopardy
as our global village falls faster and faster into the fear breeding
fear breeding fear spiral.
Our global culture is teetering on the edge of extinction.
No one person alone can turn this around, but together WE CAN!
“The Structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, one
party,or one nation. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative
effort of the whole world”
… Eleanor Roosevelt
Our basic human instincts drive us to seek safety. This is what this
chaos is all about.Our essential human survival instincts are acting
out of context with the wider global cultural need resulting in
mistrust, fear and conflict.
Everywhere the media is bombarding us with WAR TALK, distractions and
negative belief patterns that encourage us to believe that the future
of our world is out of our hands entirely.
One place we still have communal access to, is OUR STREETS.
We can balance our GLOBAL CONVERSATION with collective self-expression
using OUR STREETS AS OUR MEDIA!
Chalk4Peace is one step, a catalyst that can transform our global
conversation as we the people, en masse make our statement that is our
common aspiration for peace.
START NOW! Just DO IT!
Carry some chalk with you, invite a friend with you, to chalk
inspirations on the pavement whenever and wherever you fancy.
Chalk is harmless, cheap and washes away within a few days.
Especially PARTICIPATE On MAYDAY 2009
GLOBAL Chalk4Peace ACTION!
Make it happen in your Community!
(Scroll down for “WHAT CAN YOU DO?”)
Lets us turn our grey streets into a living river of colour and
possibility - With poetry, hearts, peace symbols, empowering
statements, also expressions of our frustrations and despair.
All will be seen for several days by thousands of people, then as they
are washed away by the elements WE CAN CONTINUE to find fresh places
to Chalk4Peace.
We don’t need to be an artist to Chalk4Peace. Every statement, however
small or large becomes part of the amazing tapestry that is our global
future.
This unique event conceivably, could be the largest of its kind in
modern history.
It is a global effort that is happening.
We The People are spreading the word and making the effort to be a
part of this huge creative endeavor to bring Peace back into the
equation.
It is our goal for at least one million or more of us to participate
with this sidewalk/pavement chalk extravaganza, at thousands of
locations, in as many countries, cities and towns around the world as is possible.
So WHAT CAN YOU DO to help make this happen?
1. NETWORK this email to your friends, contacts and where ever else
seems appropriate
2. JOIN the Yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chalk4Peace
or send a blank email to:
Chalk4Peace-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To network with others around the world who will be Chalking4Peace.
3. EMAIL:
viziondanz@infinitepossibility.org
to let us know what you are doing in your community, and please send
us pictures. Or to find out how you can participate in the project.
4. ARRANGE with you local businesses, libraries, churches, mosques,
synagogues, restaurants, supermarkets etc to chalk on the pavement
outside their premises Mayday and whenever else
IDENTIFY public squares such and invite
all your friends and your friends’ friends to show up with a few boxes
of chalk, or even get some from your local quarry.
TAKE extra chalk with you to hand out to passers-by.
5. USE this Email as a press release for you local TV, Radio and Newspapers. Let them know that Chalk4Peace is happening ASAP to get the momentum going.
6. DOCUMENT YOUR Chalk4peace actions with photos and video. Send them
to your local media - copies for our website will be greatly
appreciated - send to:
viziondanz@infinitepossibility.org
7. ENGAGE co-creatively in local communal efforts, strengthen working
relationships and find what it takes
to stand for peace and freedom.
8. Have lots of FUN and keep on
Chalking4Peace after the Mayday event.
“FUN The Final Frontier”
How did Chalk4Peace begin?
“Message in a bottle”
http://www.infinitepossibility.org/chalk/message/
http://www.infinitepossibility.org/chalk
http://www.myspace.com/chalk4peace
Its time for us to move beyond the “No to War” position and come together
“Saying Yes2Peace”
“If we don’t create our future, our past will create it for us”
http://www.infinitepossibility.org/yes1
Lets skip the war bit and just get to the peace
Greet someone new today,
look into their eyes, smile, say hello,
shake their hand …
LET THE PEACE BEGIN!
Brian
–
1+1=11 — We Are S.Y.N.E.R.G.Y
“There is nothing wrong with our world,
we are just having a weird conversation”
“Reclaim the conversation”
“Our New World Order IS Love
http://www.infinitepossibility.org
Profile @
http://www.infinitepossibility.org/movies
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=522206103
http://uk.youtube.com/profile?user=viziondanz&view=videos
http://www.myspace.com/viziondanz
http://www.myspace.com/chalk4peace
http://www.gunghomedia.co.uk
Social Acupuncture — http://www.infinitepossibility.org/sa
The FreeMind Project — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv4rmwQlfnM
Sunrise Celebration 2009 -The Odessy Continues - Phoenix Rising From
The Floods of 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFunT6c_Pl0
The Synergy Project video– http://youtube.com/watch?v=ecPKHAW0AXA
“Obama - are you the new american zeitgeist” ? - from the global community
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA4jA1YV6bc
The Movement For Peace Enters A New Phase
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cSDimvFYVU
“This is what democracy looks like”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FZ01Z2pC2Is
Dedicated to the child inside each one of us,
All the children and
All the children to come
image from http://www.spitting-image.net
